I've always been around fish since I was a kid. I remember getting out every single aquarium book my library had and reading most of them, but certainly looking at the pics. This was in the days before computers where everywhere and you could search for books in the library using the computer system
So yeah we started with goldfish and did all the wrong things, but still had success with them. I'd watch my dad clean the tank as I was far to young to actually help. I remember as time went on we accidently got an empire gudgeon as an algae eater and that helped fuel my interest in natives. So did the many pictures I saw in books as a kid. I remember one day when long story short I got a native fishes CDROM and that helped fuel my interest in natives, especially rainbowfish... Later on when I was 13 I bought my first tank. A tank all of my own, a 2ft and I put yabbies in there. They where the coolest to watch.
I kept my interest in fish all through highschool then read some info on oscars and fell in love with them. I got my first "proper" tank when I was 16 for a pair of oscars. I was on an oscar forum at the time too. They also helped foster my interest in cichlids.
After highschool I studied both Certificate and Diploma in Aquaculture (Passed both
) And yeah eventually started working in my LFS and I have no idea how long I've been there 
. I then later got into planted aquaria etc.The old timers will know me as sajica
I still remember when this forum as the hole and Western Cichlids was where it was at.
